Enjoy your weekend with friends with some good food.
Many would be indifferent to Friendship Day, voicing their concerns regarding the hypocrisy of celebrating the special bond of love on a particular day. But whether you agree to the tradition started in 1930 by Hallmark cards founder, Joyce Hall, or not, you would agree that there’s nothing like food to pamper your loved ones with. How about you keep your cynicism aside this year and celebrate it with some amazing food? You have nothing to lose, in fact, we believe it’s a good way to spend your weekend with your friends.
Go through these delectable recipes for some inspiration. Your friends are going to love it!
Plantain Koftas by The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi
Ingredients
For Koftas:
2 no – Raw bananas, boiled in 3 cups of water till soft
3tbsp – Paneer (grated, optional)
2tbsp – Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying koftas
3 no – Mashed potatoes
For Gravy:
1 no – Tomato (large, pureed)
1tsp – Green chilli and ginger paste
¼ tsp – Turmeric powder
A pinch of cumin powder
10 no – Cashew (soaked in ¼ cup milk for 15 mins and grind to a paste)
1tbsp – Fresh cream for garnish
Salt to taste
2 tbsp – Oil
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method
* Cut the end of the raw bananas and then divide the bananas into two pieces. Do not peel the skin. Boil them in 4 cups of water along with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder on low to medium flame. It will take approx 20-30 mins, based on the size. Insert a knife into the raw banana and if it goes through smoothly then its cooked. Turn off the heat and drain the water. Cool, peel and then grate them.
* In a bowl, add the grated raw banana, grated paneer, green chilli paste, coriander leaves, salt and a little bit of mashed potatoes. Mix it well so that you can make small lime-sized balls (koftas).
* Heat oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, reduce flame to medium heat and place the balls gently into the hot oil. Deep fry to a golden brown shade and remove into a bowl lined with absorbent paper. Keep it aside.
* To prepare the gravy, heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom and allow them to splutter.
* Add green chilli paste and sautee for a min. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder and salt and stir. Now, add tomato puree and cook for 8 mins.
* Add the cashew paste and cook for 3 mins.
* Add 1½ cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer for 7-8 mins or till it reaches the desired curry consistency. Turn off the heat.
* To serve the kofta curry, place the koftas in a deep bowl and pour the gravy over the koftas till submerged. Allow it to sit for 7-10 mins and serve warm.
* Garnish with fresh cream and fresh coriander leaves.
Cham Cham Tart With Chocolate Ladoo and Malai Foam by Nishant Choubey, executive chef, Dusit Devarana Hotel, New Delhi
Ingredients
4ltr – Milk
2tbsp – Lemon juice
450g – Sugar
700g – Mawa
40g – Malai
1 no – Cardamom
80g – Powdered sugar
50g – Cocoa powder
100g – Flour
25g – Butter
20ml – Cold milk
Jam
50ml – Chocolate sauce
Method
* Boil milk with cardamom and add lemon juice to split it. Strain in a muslin cloth.
* Shape the dumplings as desired.
* In the meanwhile, make sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water till it becomes thick and reaches a syrupy consistency.
* Mash the mawa with sugar to spread it on top of cham cham.
* Poach the cham cham dumplings in hot water and then dip them in sugar syrup.
* Cool it down. Take it out and spread the mawa sugar paste artistically on top of cham cham.
* In the meanwhile, take chocolate sauce and mix it with mawa and sugar to make a ball (ladoo).
* Make tart dough by using flour, water, butter and cocoa powder.
* Shape and bake it at 180 degree for 20 mins.
* Whip the malai with cold milk to make foam.
* Plate it in an artistic way with a bit of jam and mint sprig on top.
Asian Nachos by Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, executive sous chef at Sheraton, New Delhi
Ingredients
10-12 – Yellow wonton wraps
Refined oil to fry
100g – Spring onion
1 no – Avocado
50g – Edamame
50g – Onion
50g – Capsicum
20g – Basil pesto
40g – Spicy mayonnaise
20g – Sriracha sauce
20g – Black caviar
100g – Beetroot
10g – Sichimi
20g – Micro herbs
100g – Tuna (optional)
20g – Jalapenos
Method
* In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat until it reaches around 180 degree.
* Cut wonton wraps into triangles and fry until nice and crisp for 45 sec to 1 min.
* Place fried wontons on a towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
* Cut the avocado into small dices.
* Blanch the edamame and take out the seeds from it.
* Chop the onion, capsicum and jalapenos and keep aside.
* Cut the beetroot into roundels for garnish.
* Make the spicy mayonnaise by mixing mayonnaise and chili oil.
* Make the basil pesto as per standard recipe or buy from a grocery store.
* Cut the tuna into small chunks.
* Mix all the ingredients together and add spicy mayonnaise to it.
* For plating, arrange the wonton sheets on the plate, drizzle some spicy mayonnaise, sriracha and basil pesto on it and then sprinkle some sichimi on top. Arrange mixture on the wonton crisp and add some spicy mayo and garnish with herbs.
Tips: Wontons cook quickly, so watch them carefully while frying.
Rosemary Grilled Chicken by London Cafe
Ingredients
2 whole boneless chicken leg
1 bunch – Rosemary
1 tbsp – Olive Oil
½ tbsp – Crushed pepper
2 clove – Garlic
1 tbsp – Worchestershire sauce
100ml – Red wine (for sauce)
75g – Brown sauce
Salt to taste
Method
* Take two whole boneless leg of chicken in a bowl and season it with crushed pepper and salt.
* Add one stick of rosemary and one teaspoon of Worchestershire sauce and let it marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
* In the meanwhile, make the brown sauce with the help of brown stock and red wine.
* After the chicken is marinated, put the pieces over charcoal fire or on your electric griller for about 6-7 mins.
* Once cooked, serve it with fresh sauteed vegetable and mashed potatoes.
* You can also garnish it with a bunch of rosemary and a few cherry tomatoes.
Gai Pad Krapow by Freshmenu.com
Ingredients
For Gai Pad Krapow:
70g – Chicken chunks
70g – Mince chicken
3g – Chopped garlic
5g – Chopped onion
2g – Sliced red chilli
5g – Oil
5g – Fresh basil
1g – Fish sauce
1g – Dark soya
2g – Light soya
5g – Chilli paste
50g – Chicken stock
1g – Aromat seasoning
2g – Rice wine vinegar
2g -Salt
1g – Pepper
1g – Sugar
5g – Flour
5g – Corn flour
For Veg Fried Rice:
180g – Boiled rice
10g – Carrot (Brunoise cut)
10g – Beans (Brunoise cut)
3g – Chopped spring onion
1g – Salt
1g – Pepper
1g – Aromat powder
3g – Vinegar
5g – Oil
Method
For Gai Pad Karpow:
* Sautee onion and garlic. Add chilli paste, sugar, salt and pepper and the other sauces to it.
* Add minced chicken and the batter fried chunks. Toss it with fresh basil and sliced red chilli.
* Add chicken stock and corn flour to turn it into a sauce.
For Veg Fried Rice:
* Heat oil and sautee the brunoised cut vegetables.
* Add rice and toss it with salt and pepper.
* Adjust seasoning.
